Advisory Board

John King is Chief Marketing Officer at WorldQuant Foundry, a deep tech venture studio. He’s a proven marketing leader with a track record of driving exponential growth at founder-led companies and organizations across cleantech, AI, CPG, creative, and health & wellness, including as the founding head of marketing of Austin's first AI Unicorn, SparkCognition. John has worked with Austin CPG companies, such as Pilot, High Desert Vodka, Carabuena Tequila, and Restore Hyperwellness.

Dedicated to his hometown, John has served in leadership roles at regional economic development organizations such as CleanTX and The Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, and has served as Chair, Board Member, Advisory Board Member, or Partner of The Austin Young Chamber of Commerce, YMBL, AU40, YWA, SXSW Eco, Pecan Street Project, City of Austin Economic Prosperity Commission, and SKU. John volunteers with Capital City Village, and as a mentor of the Westlake High School Business Incubator.

Adam Flagg is the Managing Partner of Collective Advisors, a boutique wealth management firm in Austin serving business owners, community leaders, and individuals who are building something bigger than themselves. With 18 years of experience, he was named the Austin Under 40 winner in Financial Services & Insurance in 2015 and is a 2024 and 2025 Five Star Wealth Manager. Adam currently serves as President of the Financial Planning Association of Austin and is the host of the Austin Eras Podcast, where he highlights the stories and eras of the people shaping Austin’s creative, civic, and entrepreneurial fabric. In addition to his professional work, he is an active community leader and nonprofit board member. Adam lives in Westlake with his wife of 20 years, Brooke, and their two teenagers, Oliver and Scarlett.

Cara Caulkins is the founder and president of Cara Caulkins Communications, a boutique PR firm based in Austin, TX specializing in media relations, events and marketing communications for consumer lifestyle and hospitality brands and businesses. With nearly two decades of experience working for award-winning global PR agencies in Chicago and New York, national consumer brands and for her own clients, Cara brings a wealth of knowledge to any marketing communications strategy and campaign execution. In Fall 2016, Austin Way Magazine, named Cara on "The List" -a who's who of prominent Austin-based community leaders, business executives, athletes and celebrities. In 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 Cara was nominated for the Austin Business Journal’s Profiles in Power, recognizing Central Texas women leaders. In 2021, Cara was awarded the Austin Under 40 Award for Journalism, Marketing & PR. Cara and her team have produced and executed public relations campaigns and events for notable clients including ICON, Bumble, Kendra Scott, Away, CLEAN Cause, Teen Vogue and more. Cara’s clients have been featured in media outlets nationwide including MSNBC, TODAY, 60 Minutes, New York Times, Inc. and Texas Monthly among others. Cara Caulkins Communications merges her personal passions with her professional interests in supporting great brands that encourage others to look, feel and live the best version of themselves.

Colin has been a journalist in Austin for more than 30 years, and he is often tapped by radio and television programs around the country as a result. He is a founding board member of the Austin Young Chamber of Commerce, donates time to UT’s School of Journalism and assists several local nonprofits. He graduated from the University of Texas with a degree in journalism and was Austin Under 40’s 2014 Austinite of the Year.

Felicia Garcia is a public affairs professional working in brand engagement, sustainability, and government relations at The Coca-Cola Company. Felicia has experience with media relations, social impact strategy, sponsorship fulfillment, corporate social responsibility, and regional nonprofit charitable efforts. She is an alumna of the University of Texas at Austin and received a master's degree in strategic communication from American University.

Felicia currently serves as a board member at large of the Austin Ed Fund, Con Mi MADRE, Austin PBS, and Communities in Schools Central Texas. She was a participant in the 2013 class of Leadership Austin Emerge and completed the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Hispanic Austin Leadership program in May 2020. She has served on the board of directors of Shoal Creek Conservancy, the YWCA Greater Austin, YHPAA, and the Young Women's Alliance - serving as co-chair of the 2017 Austin Under 40 Awards. Her past work experience includes fundraising and community engagement with Central Texas Food Bank and public affairs and philanthropy with H-E-B.

Gordon Moore is Director of Project Development for Zeus and FGE Power where he manages a portfolio of development projects including solar, wind, and natural gas power generation, co-located with energy storage and data centers.

Most recently, Mr. Moore served as Vice President – Sales at NadaMoo!, a nationally distributed dairy free ice cream brand, where he was responsible for the company’s revenue generation and distribution network.

Earlier in his career, Mr. Moore held roles in management consulting as well as strategic partnerships in the banking industry prior to launching his own consulting firm working with early stage FinTech companies on go-to-market strategy.

Gordon invests heavily in his community, having served on the board for numerous organizations including Young Men’s Business League, Austin Sunshine Camps, Austin Young Chamber, and Downtown Austin Neighborhood Association. Avid patrons of the arts, Gordon and his wife, Alexis, support Ballet Austin, Austin Symphony Orchestra, and the Blanton Museum of Art. Gordon was recognized as a 2023 Austin Under 40 Award winner for the People & Operations category.

Mr. Moore earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin and is pursuing a Level 3 Award in Wines from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust. He and Alexis currently reside in Austin with their son, Max.

Kerri is an experienced marketing communications leader with expertise in organizational leadership, brand building, and civic engagement. As Director of Marketing and Communications for The Texas Tribune, she leads efforts to amplify the Tribune’s brand, journalism, and events. She also works as a freelance branding consultant, coaching professionals and recent graduates to define and elevate their personal brands. Kerri’s most recent previous roles include Chief Marketing Officer at Trinity Episcopal School and Director of Marketing at St. Edward’s University, where she also served as an adjunct professor in the Munday School of Business. She holds a BA in Journalism from Texas State University and a Master's in Organizational Leadership and Ethics from St. Edward’s. A dedicated community volunteer and mentor, Kerri is a Leadership Austin graduate, founding board member and past president of Young Women’s Alliance, and president-elect of Women Communicators of Austin, among many other roles. Kerri was honored as an “Austin Under 40” winner in the community service category in 2006.

Kristyn Ciani is a veteran entertainment executive and Co-Founder of Soap Creek Entertainment (SCE), a leading live event and talent consultancy. With over two decades of industry experience, she architects high-impact productions and spearheads strategic initiatives for top-tier venues, festivals, brands, and cultural institutions nationwide. From national tours and Las Vegas residencies to luxury brand activations and benefit concerts, she has produced marquee experiences with some of the world’s most celebrated artists and comedians.

Before launching SCE, Kristyn built a 16-year career at C3 Presents (a Live Nation company), where she helped shape talent strategy and large-scale event programming across major U.S. venues. She oversaw hundreds of shows annually—from club-level events to high-profile theaters and arenas—including The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, The Frank Erwin Center, The Frost Bank Center, and the Amphitheater at Circuit of the Americas. She co-produced Landmark Festival, the first and only publicly ticketed concert on the National Mall, which saw over 50K attendees over two days. In 2017, she executive-produced Texas’s largest Hurricane Harvey benefit concert, raising over $2 million through a televised event featuring Willie Nelson, Paul Simon, Matthew McConaughey, and more.

Through SCE, she now leads strategic initiatives, negotiates high-stakes deals, and advises clients on revenue-driving programming, partnerships, and brand visibility across the live entertainment landscape.

Marisela Cortes is a customer experience leader driven by innovation, impact, and connection. As Customer Engagement Manager for Texas Mutual Insurance Company, she brings ideas to life—designing strategic customer events that strengthen relationships and elevate the brand. With over 15 years of experience spanning strategy, project management, customer engagement, and communications, Marisela combines business insight with a deep understanding of finance, insurance, and consulting.

Beyond her professional work, Marisela is a passionate advocate for women’s empowerment, child well-being, and community care. She serves on the board of Austin Sunshine Camps and volunteers with local nonprofits dedicated to creating lasting change. A proud graduate of The University of Texas at Austin’s LBJ School of Public Affairs, Marisela holds a master’s degree in public affairs. She finds joy in family life with her husband Chris, daughter Emilia, and their dachshund, Boy—making memories that inspire her to keep making a difference.

Matt is a former Deputy to two Austin mayors and he has extensive experience in municipal government and local politics, working on a broad variety of initiatives and best practices in a rapidly changing city. He is a trained facilitator with 15 years of expertise in helping connect potentially conflicting interests to create effective policy.

His team at Smart City Policy Group includes former Austin mayor Lee Leffingwell, former Pleasanton mayor Jennifer Hosterman, former tourism industry leader travel association president, a former Economic Development Association board member, former City Manager Jeff Coffee and several other former policy makers and thought leaders with extensive backgrounds in local governments.

Together they have worked on regulatory and government advocacy issues for nearly ten years. Matt and his team have presented on government policies around the world including; European Parliament, National Council of State Legislators, National Governors Association, European Parliament, Destinations International, US Travel - ESTO, US Conference of Mayors and many more government and travel industry associations.

Matt works daily with City Managers, Mayors and Destination Leaders on how to create fair and effective regulations that achieve policy goals.

Former Mayor of New Orleans, Mitch Landrieu introduced Matt during a 2017 Tourism, Arts, Parks, Entertainment and Sports subcommittee at the United States Conference of Mayors as, "A best friend of American mayors".

Columbia, South Carolina’s Mayor Stephen Benjamin, who served as president of the United States Conference of Mayors, said, "Matt Curtis is a valued resource for local leaders working on tough issues."